I returned to this oversized exhibit on the last day, after a defective cable and music server had been replaced.…
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Hey, we were in earthquake country, the land from which Carole King may have received inspiration to write, "I Feel the Earth Move Under my Feet." Then again, she could have received equal inspiration from the Von Schweikert VR-100 XS 4-piece loudspeaker system ($140,000/pair). Paired with the debut of Raven Audio's Silhouette monoblock amplifiers ($12,995/pair) and Reference Silhouette preamplifier ($12,995), it sure inspired me with its ability to move air with musicality.
The fourth California Audio Show had just come to an end, but from the vigor with which the Music Lovers Audio staff launched into take down (above), it could have just as well been set-up day. Perhaps some of their energy reserves arose from the fact that attendance seemed significantly lighter than anticipated, even on Saturday.
Why have I devoted so much time and energy to writing up rooms at what was essentially a modestly sized regional show? To my way of thinking, exhibitors, both newbies and industry regulars, invested so much time and energy into making a good showing at CAS that…
Things didn't start off auspiciously. I'd been after Symphonic Line's Klaus Bunge for more than a year to send me the Kraft 400 Reference monoblocks. Finally he called. He said he was going to be in town for a few days, and he had with him a pair of what he described as his "traveling" Kraft 400s, which he proposed to leave with me (footnote 1).
Klaus showed up with the enormous amps encased in high-mileage cardboard domestic travel boxes so crisscrossed with packing tape they looked mummified. I eagerly poked around Klaus's Trooper for the cart I just knew he had to have with him. He…
The 400s never wavered or faltered on this complex and orchestrally dense work. Every string tone, organ note, musical thread, precisely placed and layered instrument, and small acoustic detail was rendered with equal importance. The result was a mammoth, transparent, concise, extremely coherent sound that brought us the ultimate power of the orchestra by perfectly tracking the many voices of each individual instrument. This certainly has much to do with designer Rolf Gemein's theories regarding proper distribution of energy throughout the frequency spectrum, and to his attention to time…
Sidebar 1: Measurements
A full set of measurements of the Symphonic Line Kraft 400 was made in its unbalanced mode. Balanced measurements were not made, for reasons explained below.
Following the 1/3-power, one-hour preconditioning test, the Kraft 400's heatsinks were barely warm to the touch—so cool, in fact, that it seemed that the heatsinks are far larger than they need to be.
The input impedance measured a low 9.8k ohms. Some care should be exercised to avoid matching the Kraft 400 with a preamp having an unusually high output impedance. The output impedance was 0.04…
Sidebar 2: Specifications
Description: Solid-state, handcrafted power amplifier with class-A output stage. Maximum output power: 300W into 8 ohms (24.8dBW); 500W into 4 ohms (24dBW). Current capability: >150A. Frequency range: 1Hz–1MHz. Damping factor: >1500, equivalent to an output impedance of 0.005 ohms.
Dimensions: 21" W by 30" D by 14" H. Weight: 260 lbs each.
Price: $25,000/pair, installed (1995); no longer available (2013). Approximate number of dealers: 12 (1995).
Manufacturer: Rolf Gemein, Scharnhorststr. 9-11, D-47059 Duisburg. Tel: 49 (0) 203-315656. Fax: 49…
You could sense the frustration in Keith Pray's e-mail. "We are on the same team. I have always respected your wishes and will continue to do so," he had written me. At the request of a possible advertiser, Stereophile's publisher had asked me a question about something appearing in the issue of Stereophile we were preparing. I had responded that not only would I not give him an answer, I felt it inappropriate for him to ask.
I wouldn't usually mention an internal and inconsequential matter like this if it weren't for the fact that the day Keith and I had our altercation, the news broke…
EARL WILD: The Art of the Transcription
Earl Wild, piano, recorded live at Carnegie Hall on November 1, 1981
Audiofon 2008-2 (2 LPs). Julian Kreeger, prod., Peter McGrath, eng. AAA
Earl Wild, piano, recorded live at Carnegie Hall on November 1, 1981
Audiofon 2008-2 (2 LPs). Julian Kreeger, prod., Peter McGrath, eng. AAA
It takes nerve for a performer to allow an entire concert to be recorded for release on disc. It also takes extraordinary confidence in one's technique. Mistakes that are overlooked in the live experience become snags for the ear in the recorded version. One starts to listen for them and loses the musical experience in its totality.
This is one reason why so many discs are mastered in the…
Once upon a time, in audio's infancy, anyone who wanted better than average sound—average sound during the 1940s being rich, boomy and dull—had no choice but to buy professional loudspeakers. In those days, "professional" meant one of two things: movie-theater speakers or recording-studio speakers. Both were designed, first and foremost, to produce high sound levels, and used horn loading to increase their efficiency and project the sound forwards. They sounded shockingly raw and harsh in the confines of the typical living room (footnote 1).
When high fidelity took off during the early '…
Sidebar 1: An Opposing View
J. Gordon Holt's review puts me in a bit of a quandary: I agree with many of his general observations, but not with his description of the speaker under review. I also don't like the sloping highs inherent in the "Boston sound." I have never liked any of the Boston Acoustics speakers, and have long felt that the Allisons and most ARs lack upper octave energy, life, and excitement. While Polk is a distinctly "South Boston" manufacturer, I have generally been disappointed in their highs as well.
This kind of upper octave response may suit the Hafler or…